Electrolux Wants To Bring ‘Uber’ Convenience to Your Washer and Dryer

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Electrolux, the Swedish appliance maker, is currently considering the possibility of a sharing service for washers and dryers. Similar to Uber, Electrolux imagines that you could request to use machines owned by someone else. Think about it: Rather than travelling to a laundromat, there could be Electrolux units in your neighborhood you could find on a companion app.

Internet connectivity is far more common among appliances these days, with companies such as Google and Amazon making progressive moves towards a fully smart home. But just like our president-elect, the Electrolux brass is concerned about the security of “cyber.” As The Financial Times reports, Jonas Samuelson, the new chief executive of Electrolux, sees the cybersecurity aspect as a foundational issue. This is likely due to the higher frequency of reports that smart toys and devices are frequently getting hacked by outsiders. But that’s not the only concern. What do you do if you find you are missing a sock? What If someone over-dries your favorite pair of jeans, reducing them to a nice clothing piece for a G.I. Joe action figure?

To curb the potential of software succumbing to outside forces, Electrolux offers an alternative approach to cybersecurity. Samuelson states that Electrolux would focus on placing the service into their product by entrenching it in the hardware.

Closing thought: As we all wait patiently for the sharing-economy of the future to become a further reality, conservatives should wonder if the private market is moving in a weirdly socialist direction. Isn’t communal ownership what the commies were all about?